Chapter18
Bourbon and Scotch
A faint groan escaped my lips as I began to wake up, the feeling of someone trailing their finger over my arm causing me to stir. It was gentle and tender, so smooth and rhythmic. It could have easily put me back to sleep. I knew that I had to wake up though, slowly peeling my eyes open.
"Morning, sleeping beauty," I heard a voice purr from beside me.
Turning, my eyes landed on Damon, my eyes widening slightly.
"Damon," I breathed, pushing myself up.
Almost immediately, my arms were around him, hugging him.
"Hey, I know I'm irresistible, but still," he chuckled, patting my head lightly.
"It wasn't a dream," I whispered, holding him close.
I felt him wrap his arms around me, his fingertips running down my spine, snapping me back into reality.
"I thought you…"
"That'd I'd be gone? Far from Mystic Falls with Katherine?" he asked, staring down at me.
Slowly, I nodded my head, looking up into his eyes. Oddly enough, they were misted over with a certain calm.
"Nope."
"Why not?" I asked hesitantly.
He just looked down at me, tilting his head to the side. His hand came up, cupping the side of my face.
"She wasn't there," he replied, stroking the side of my face, until his thumb brushed my lips. "For the last 145 years, I've been trying to get into that tomb. Goal accomplished. She wasn't there," he continued.
"Damon, I…" I tried to speak, but no words came, my eyes watering slightly.
"Shh," he hushed, pressing a finger to my lips, his face leaning down in front of mine. "I'm fine."
"No you're not," I sighed, reaching out and taking his face in my hands.
He gave me an odd look as I did this, staring down at me. My eyes caught sight of the liquor bottle out of the corner of my eyes, a frown forming on my face. He was drinking in an attempt to drown things out.
"You can't always do this Damon. You cant' just push it away and act like it doesn't matter," I sighed, pressing my forehead to his.
"And what should I do?" he asked quietly. "Yell, scream, cry?"
"Damon…" I breathed. "This isn't you."
He just rolled his eyes lazily, pulling back. He made to get off of the bed, but I stopped him, pulling him back down. It was actually kind of sad at how easy that was.
"Kali," he whined.
"Sit," I said firmly. "And stay."
After that, I stood up, grabbing the bottle and making to take it out of the room.
"Don't even think about it," he warned, flying in front of me.
"Damon, I'm not going to let you do this to yourself," I told him, pointing a finger at him.
His eyes narrowed tiredly, reaching for the bottle. I pulled it away, moving to go passed him, but he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me away from the door.
"Give it back," he whined.
"No. I won't."
Damon fell back against the wall, pulling me down with him as he slid down it.
"Give it back," he sighed.
"No," I said firmly, tossing it under the bed before he could try for it again.
I could hear him groan as I did this, his head coming down to rest on my shoulder.
"Why'd you do that?" he asked.
"Because, I'm not going to let you drown your sorrows in alcohol," I replied, bringing my hand up to rest on his neck.
His cheek pressed against mine as we sat there, his nose coming to brush against my neck.
"I'm hungry…" he whispered.
"Then drink," I said simply, glancing over at him. "Blood, not alcohol."
He stared at me for a moment, his hands sliding down my arms, caressing them.
"Drink. Damon," I said gently.
"You mean it?" he mumbled, lightly kissing my neck, his hand coming up to brush it as he held me close.
"Yes," I nodded. "Who knows, maybe it will sober you up."
He let out a faint snort at my comment. I felt him kiss the space between my neck and shoulder as I leaned my head back. I nearly shivered as he trailed his lips along it, before finally coming back up and kissing the corner of my jaw below my ear.
"Damon," I whimpered lightly, my face heating up a bit.
Even in his drunken state, he was still having too much fun with this or at least that's what I thought anyway.
"You've always been so good to me," he whispered, his words sounding familiar to me for some reason.
I had a feeling that he'd said that to me once before or something close to it at least. I then felt his lips on my neck again, his fangs slowly pushing out as he scraped lightly at my skin. He kissed it one final time, before slowly sinking them into the flesh of my neck, pain shooting through my neck. It was always the initial bite that hurt the most.
"Mmm…" I whimpered, closing my eyes.
I felt him pull me a bit closer as he drank, his hand rubbing up and down my arm in an attempt to comfort me. I knew though that I'd rather it be me that he drank from, instead of some poor soul that he had to compel. At least this way, it left Damon a bit more docile, not hindering his mood. It allowed him to remain calm and in control, neutral.
I glanced over, feeling a bit of blood trickle down from my neck and over my skin. It soaked into the dark material of my shirt, blending in with it. He pulled away a couple minutes later, blood coating his lips.
"Feel better?" I asked, looking up at him.
He nodded his head slowly, eyes locking with mine. I felt his lips on mine a moment later, his hand cradling my cheek, the taste of blood on my tongue.
"Damon," I breathed, wetting my lips.
He pulled me back to him again, kissing me affectionately. I couldn't say no to such a feeling, even if he was a bit drunk, it was still his choice. Since being a vampire meant that he had a high tolerance for alcohol, it meant that he was still perfectly coherent. He was just a bit tipsy is all. That and he wasn't thinking straight, but he still knew exactly what he was doing, that much I was certain of.
"Damon, why don't you go take a shower?" I suggested. "It'll make you feel better."
"Are you going to join me?" he asked, smiling down at no.
"Uh, no."
He whined in response, burying his face in my neck again, licking at blood.
"Damon!" I shivered, my fingers curling.
He had no clue how strange that felt. Although, I felt his lips pull into a grin against my skin. He was doing it on purpose.
"Shower, Salvatore. Now," I ordered, pulling his head back.
"Aww, buzz kill," he whined, kissing below my ear.
I felt his tongue slip out just to spite me, shoving him off.
"Damon, please," I sighed, pulling myself free from his hold. "Just go take a shower, alright?" I asked, brushing my fingers against his cheek.
He nodded after a moment, letting me help him up, his feet making him stumble a bit as he tripped.
"I'm sure you know where everything is? I assumed.
"Mm-hm," he nodded, starting to strip the moment we entered the bathroom.
"Okay, I'll just wait outside," I piped up, moving out of the bathroom and shutting the door.
I heard him chuckle as I did this, the sound of the shower turning on meeting my ears.
"Finally," I sighed, moving back over to the bed and pulling the liquor bottle out from underneath it. "Bourbon. Figures."
I just shook my head, opening the drawer of the nightstand and placing it inside. If he wanted to drink, that was fine, but he was going to do more than just that.
T
Damon sighed as he stepped into the shower, the warm water running over him. Like Kali had said, it made him feel a bit better, but the feelings he was trying to rid himself of were still there. They were still eating away at him with that depressing pain. No matter how much he told himself that he could switch those emotions off, he was unable to do so. He still felt human. That's why he had stayed, those human emotions. He felt that attachment toward Kali, that attachment that kept him from leaving. She was a constant thing for him, but he knew that it wouldn't last. How could it? She was human after all and eventually her time would come. She would grow old and then he'd be left alone once again.
"Could always turn her," he mused quietly, letting the water roll down his face.
That thought was stuck in his head as he stood there. No doubt, she would stay with him, so why not? At least if he turned her, she'd be with him forever, and he'd have someone of his own. He could live the way he was supposed to with Katherine.
"Katherine…" he sighed, fingers curling against the tile wall.
He had to forget about her, forget about the pain. He'd drown his sorrows in blood and alcohol. He'd drown everything out with Kali. He'd use her for comfort, for a distraction. Slowly, his mind started to clear a bit. Kali wasn't a distraction, but a solution for a means to an end. She would be his solution, his salvation, his sanctuary.
T
As Damon stood in the shower, I allowed myself to go through all of the things that he got me, studying the speakers on my desk. They had a stereo and that was also a speaker jack with it. I couldn't help, but to grin at this, pulling my i-pod from my bed and bringing it over.
"Let's see what you can do," I mused, hooking it up.
I chose Brian McKnight's Last Dance, since it was the first song on the album, the sound flowing seamlessly through the speakers.
"Perfect," I smiled, turning around, only to find Damon standing there in a towel.
"D-Damon," I stammered, my face heating up a bit as he stood there, steam rolling out from the bathroom.
His hair was dripping wet, soaking into the carpeted floors.
"You're right," he started, slowly making his way over to me. "I do feel a bit better now."
"Damon…" I breathed, watching him warily.
My eyes widened as I watched his hand loosen on the towel, slowly slipping from his hips. I turned my head quickly before I could see anything, shielding my eyes in embarrassment.
"Damon, I swear to God, if you don't put some clothes on…"
"You'll what?" he purred, touching my arm.
I jumped as he did this, tripping over my feet and landing on the floor, my eyes now open. I was met by the sight of him in front of me, naked, save for a pair of black boxerbriefs. He'd been screwing with me the whole time, his hand gripping loosely at his pants, a humorous look plastered on his face.
"Damon," I groaned. "Put your pants on."
"Why? I thought that we talked about this before," he chuckled, reaching down and pulling me up by my arm.
He then pulled me onto the bed with him, falling onto his back.
"Come on, you," I sighed, snatching his pants from him and trying to get back up.
He tugged me back down again though, nearly making me fall on top of him.
"Listen, if you wanna do this, then you're going to have to put your pants back on," I told him.
He whined in response, but rose his leg up.
"Seriously, you're going to make me dress you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in question.
"Mm-hm," he murmured, reaching over and opening the drawer of my nightstand.
"How did you…?"
"I pay attention," he told me, unscrewing the cap and taking a drink. "And I have good hearing."
I just sighed, shaking my head, and guiding his foot through the leg of his pants. I did the same with the other, sliding them upward. I had to stop though once I got high enough, eyeing him for a moment.
"A little help here?" I asked.
In return, he lifted his hips, letting me slide them up the rest of the way.
"I swear, if you weren't so drunk, you'd be doing this yourself," I said pointedly. "Lazy butt."
He chuckled in response, making me smack his chest lightly. He just took another large drink of Bourbon, gulping it down.
"Damon, give me that," I sighed, reaching for it, only to have him pull it just out of reach. "Damon, give it here," I groaned, my hand pressing on his chest for support as my other one reached out for the bottle. "Damon, I swear, if you don't give me that bottle…"
I was cut off with a yelp as he pulled me down on top of him, my chest pressing against his. His arm went around my waist, keeping me there, his other set the bottle down on the ground. After that, he kissed my neck.
"Damon," I groaned lightly, closing my eyes.
He then flipped us over so that he was on top, hovering over me.
"You smell good," he breathed, kissing the spot on my neck where he'd bitten me earlier.
"You're still hungry, aren't you?"
He nodded his head, pushing me into the mattress, his hand brushing the skin of my side. I shivered in response at the feather light touch.
"Ticklish?" he inquired.
"Don't even think about," I warned, glancing at the floor, before trying to reach for the bottle.
"Uh-uh," he chided, grabbing it from me.
He took another drink, before pulling back, walking over to my desk. He sat it down for a moment, looking through my i-pod, until he found an appropriate song that was to his liking. I felt my face blanch though when Madonna's Like a Virgin came through the speaker, a grin plastered on his face.
"Oh…my…God…Damon!" I cried, watching as he started to dance to the music sexily.
I shook my head, wide eyed as he came toward me.
"Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" I cried, scooting back on the bed.
He caught my hand though, tugging me up from the bed and pulling me against him, my face at least three shades of red.
"Damon," I groaned in embarrassment.
"Dance with me," he grinned, swaying back and forth.
It really didn't help though because I hadn't even gotten around to buttoning his pants, his hands above his head. Sadly, I knew that he was all too aware of this, his playful side breaking through. The man loved to have fun and this was no exception.
"Loosen up a little," he swayed, taking another gulp of Bourbon.
"Um, no," I answered, shaking my head as I pulled away.
He was in front of me in seconds, a mischievous look upon his face.
"Damon," I warned, slowly stepping backward.
He disappeared, appearing behind him, his arms wrapping around me before I could turn around. I felt his hips push against me as he moved, dancing, his hand on my stomach.
"I swear, you're insane!"
"And you love it," he grinned, taking another swig, before placing the bottle down.
At this point, it was nearing empty as he took my hands in his, placing them around his neck. My back was still to his chest as he did this, his hands coming to my waist. One went to my stomach, the other to my hip as they crossed. I still felt embarrassed though as he moved us around, a sensual feeling washing over me.
"Just have a little fun," he whispered, rubbing my stomach a little, his fingers tickling the skin.
He then kissed the inside of my arm, trailing his lips over it.
"I hate you…" I groaned, closing my eyes.
"Of course you do," he whispered, kissing my neck.
I merely groaned again, leaning my head back as we swayed. He then took my hands and spun me away, pulling me back to face him again, his face close to mine. He kissed me, before dipping me backwards, a laugh escaping me and a smile spreading across his face. Perhaps, this was the best kind of medicine one could have.
"This is fun," he grinned, swinging me back up into his arms as the song ended, leaving him walking back over to my i-pod.
I just stood there, watching as he went through it again until he was satisfied, a snort coming from him.
"What?"
"I think I found the perfect song," he scoffed, the sound of The Maine's You Left Me now coming from the speakers.
"Oh God," I sighed, shaking my head, but I saw a smile on his face. "Damon?"
He just grabbed me, pulling me to him with a quickness, stepping around the room with me in quick steps. He seemed to have a spring in his step to match the song as we went around in circles.
"I'm fine," he grinned, picking me up and spinning me around, and tossing me in the air.
"Damon!" I cried clinging to him.
Before too long, he tossed us on the bed, his feet coming to stand as he pulled me up with him, jumping around. It was like a little kid, which actually put me in a bit more of a better mood. He was dealing with it.
"Damon!" I laughed.
He'd pulled to him, spinning me around toward the edge of the bed, my body leaning off of it as he held onto my hand. He pulled me back only to spin me back out and catch me in his arms as I feel off of the bed. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he held me in his arms, tossing me up a bit. He then spun around in circles, until he fell back onto the bed, both of us laughing.
"Is this what you do whenever you get drunk?" I breathed out, looking up at him as I lay sprawled out on top of him from falling with him.
"Only with you," he chuckled, sitting up and causing me to roll onto his lap.
I laughed, out of breathed. He seemed unfazed though, staring down at me. I then heard The Killers A White Demon Love Song come from the stereo. I guess he'd placed it on shuffle at this point. The song was calming though compared to the others, allowing me breathe.
"White demon, huh?" he chuckled, looking me over.
"Yep," I nodded, finding myself wishing that he had a shirt on so that I could pull him down.
"I hope it's not talking about me," he joked, leaning down and kissing my stomach.
"Damon!" I cried, face going red.
"What?" he chuckled.
"Okay, if you're going to keep doing this to me, then we're going to have to at least go out on a date or something," I told him.
"A date?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, a date," I nodded. "You're always kissing me and stuff, but we've yet to even go on a single date."
"Well, if that's what you really want, then I guess being the awesome person that I am, I'm going to have to take you on one then."
"Really?" I asked, looking up at him.
He nodded, sliding his hand behind my neck and pulling me upward, our lips meeting.
"But I still get to kiss you until then," he grinned.
"Okay, how about this. You finish getting dressed and then we go somewhere, alright?" I asked. "Besides, I don't want you staying cooped up in here all day long."
"Why not? I thought I was fun to be around," he said playfully, leaning in to kiss me again.
I turned my head though, his lips landing on my cheek instead.
"Kali…" he groaned.
"Come on, you can mess around later," I told him, getting up off of the bed. "Besides, I want ice cream," I grinned.
"Ice cream?" he asked skeptically. "In this weather?"
"Yep. Now, get up."
"Help me up?" he asked, giving me puppy dog eyes.
"Ugh, okay, but no more of that," I laughed, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet.
He nearly toppled over on top of me though.
"Yeah, you are definitely not driving," I pointed out.
He sighed, looking down at his pants as he zipped them up, fiddling with the button. He couldn't seem to get it through the little hole.
"A little help?" he asked, looking over at me.
I sighed, shaking my head as I stepped back over to him.
"Stand still," I breathed, taking hold of his pants.
With one quick slip of the fingers, I had the button slipped into place.
"There you go," I said, patting his hip lightly.
"Much better. Although, I'd still prefer to be without them."
I rolled my eyes at his comment, shaking my head.
"Sorry, Damon, but they stay on for now," I told him.
After that, I moved over to my suitcase, the one thing that had been brought over to the apartment. I'd still have to go back over to Elena's to get the rest of my stuff, but it didn't bother me.
"You know, we're going to have to go out and get you some more clothes," he pointed out, coming to stand behind me, his bare chest pressing against my back as he wrapped his arms around my waist.
"I realize that, Damon, but I don't have the money for it at the moment."
"Who said you'd be the one paying?" he inquired, looking down at me.
"You're kidding me, right?" I asked, raising a brow in question.
"Nope," he answered, popped the P.
"Why do you keeping doing this for me?" I asked..
"Just call it…repaying my debt," he answered.
"Damon, what are you talking about?"
"Don't worry about it. Let's go."
"Damon, get back here!" I called after him. "You don't even have a shirt on."
T
"You're serious about this, aren't you?"Damon asked, standing beside me in the little ice cream shop.
What was nice was the fact that they were open all year long.
"Yep," I nodded, stepping forward with him.
The place wasn't very big, but it didn't have to be. It still had enough room for people to sit though if they wanted, but for us, we'd be walking around outside. It was the only way to get a bit of privacy.
"And what would you like miss?" the man behind the counter asked.
"Um," I looked over at the machines. "Chocolate soft serve, please?"
"And you sir?" the man asked, looking over at Damon.
"Uh…" Damon looked down at me, almost unsure.
I couldn't help, but to laugh at this, shaking my head.
"He'll have chocolate and vanilla swirl," I said, answering for him. "Medium for both," I added, pulling money out of my pocket.
"Seriously?" Damon asked, looking down at me. "You wanted to go on a date and yet you're paying for it?" he asked skeptically.
I just stuck my tongue out in response.
"Hey, I'm here with you, so shut up."
A few moments later, my phone started to ring. I pulled it out of my pocket, looking down at the caller ID. It was Stefan.
"Hello?" I answered, placing it to my ear.
"Kali, it's Stefan."
"I know that. I do have caller ID, silly," I laughed, placing the money on the counter as the man came back with our ice cream. "Thank you."
"I've been looking for Damon. Have you seen him?" he asked, his voice a bit anxious.
I looked over at Damon to find him watching, no doubt listening in on the conversation with that acute hearing of his.
"Yes. He's with me actually," I answered. "We went out for ice cream."
"Damon and ice cream?" he asked skeptically.
"Yes, Stefan, ice cream. And he's fine," I assured him. "Since I'm sure that that's what you were wondering," I assumed.
"He can hear me, can't he?"
"Yep."
"Can I talk to him?" he asked hesitantly.
"Damon?" I asked, looking over at him.
He let out a sigh, but held out his hand. I placed the phone in his awaiting hand, touching his arm lightly before making my way toward the door.
"I'll be outside," I told him.
T
"What do you want brother?" Damon asked tiredly, looking down at the ice cream in his hand.
"Are you okay?" Stefan asked.
"I'm fine, Stefan," Damon assured him, taking a taste of the dairy confection.
"I just…I thought…"
"Thought that I'd leave town and not look back?" Damon assumed. "Sorry, but I decided to stay."
"Damon, that's not what I meant," Stefan sighed. "I'm kind of glad that you decided to stay," he admitted, catching Damon off guard.
"You're kidding, right?"
"No, I'm not," Stefan voiced. "Elena explained a bit about you and Kali," Stefan spoke slowly, making Damon tense.
"Exactly what did she tell you?" Damon asked warily.
"Just that you cared. That she's good for you."
Damon rolled his eyes.
"Listen, no offense, but I'm really not in the mood right now little brother," Damon told him.
"I get that. I just wanted you to know that I'm here, you know, if you want to talk," he offered.
"I think I'll pass the brotherly therapy session," Damon answered, before hanging up, placing the phone inside his pocket.
With that, he walked outside, finally Kali standing there with her arms wrapped around herself.
T
"Cold?" Damon asked, coming up behind me.
"A little," I nodded.
I felt wrap his arm around me after a moment, pulling me close.
"Well, maybe you should have dressed just a bit warmer then," he snickered.
"Hey, when I came here, I didn't think about packing anything really warm," I pointed out.
He just chuckled, keeping close as we walked across the street passed the car. I just stayed close, leaning against him as we went. I'd made sure to get him some coffee earlier, so the caffeine was running through his system, warming his skin. It was still strange to me, but I didn't mind. After all, he was what he was. There was nothing I could do about that, but at least he was my vampire.
My vampire? I thought to myself.
I shook my head lightly. Damon didn't belong to anyone, let alone me. He was his own person, his own master. He was Damon.
"Something wrong?" he asked, looking down at me before taking a bite of his ice cream.
"Okay, firstly, that's the wrong way to eat that ice cream," I pointed out.
"Oh, really, and how am I supposed to eat it?" he inquired, raising a brow in question.
"Like this," I answered, showing him.
I took mine and started to lick it, turning the cone around in a circle as I went so that it wouldn't drip. I kept doing it until I ended up at the top, a grin on my face.
"Like that," I said confidently.
"Hmm…" he mused, doing the same thing I did.
In the end, he ended up with some on the tip of his nose, a laugh escaping me.
"What?"
I just shook my head, handing him my ice cream and pulling him down toward me. I then took the sleeve of my jacket and wiped his nose, an odd look on his face as I did this.
"You had ice cream on your nose," I laughed, smiling up at him.
He just chuckled, handing me my ice cream back.
"You could have just licked it off instead of wasting it," he joked.
"Do you ever stop?" I laughed, raising an eyebrow in question.
"Nope," he answered. "And its worse when I'm drunk. Fair warning."
I rolled my eyes at his answer. It was so Damon.
"I swear, you're something else."
"I'm a vampire, remember? It comes with the territory."
"That's crap and we both know it Damon," I pointed out, taking a random bite out of my ice cream.
"What happened to eating it the right way?" he chuckled.
I just shrugged.
"Too lazy."
He snorted in response, shaking his head.
"I need a drink," he sighed.
"I hope you mean blood, not Bourbon?"
"Nope."
"Damon…" I groaned, looking up at him. "High tolerance or not, you're not drinking."
"Would you rather I brood like Stefan?" he inquired.
"No."
"Then I need a drink," he said simply.
"No. You don't."
I was getting tired of the idea that he wanted to drink. He'd already drank a whole bottle of Bourbon today. He didn't need any more.
"Just talk it out, Damon," I told him, nudging him with my elbow.
He nudged back.
"Seriously though, Damon, you need to talk about it."
"So, you want to ruin a perfectly good date with talk?" he asked skeptically.
"I want to help," I sighed, looking down at my ice cream cone.
I took a couple more bites out of it, shivering from the wave of cold that hit me.
"I've got a question for you, why do you care so much?" Damon asked, looking down at me.
I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it, looking else where. How was I supposed to answer something like that? Much less to him. I felt myself walking ahead of him a bit, my feet scrapping the ground. My breath left in a white cloud.
"I care about you, Damon," I told him, biting down into the cone.
I swallowed after chewing, wiping the side of my face with the back of my hand. My hands were cold.
"That's not all."
I looked back at him as he spoke, almost as though he were trying to get something out of me.
"I don't have many friends, Damon," I told him, taking another bite.
He was quiet as I spoke, listening.
"The only real friends I have are Jenna, Elena, Jeremy, Stefan, and… Well, you. That's it."
After that, I tossed the remains of my cone in the trashcan, rubbing my arms in an attempt for warmth.
"With you…" I paused for a moment, raking my brain for the right words. "I feel… I don't, I feel happy," I shrugged, glancing behind me.
It looked like he was contemplating something.
"I swear, I feel like I'm going to end up inflating your ego or something," I muttered, shaking my head. "The point is, I like being around you Damon, I really do. I don't care what anyone else thinks about it, but it's the truth."
When I turned around, I found him standing in front of me, nearly making me jump out of my skin.
'D-Damon," I squeaked.
I took a small step back in surprise, our eyes locking with one another. He had this look on his face, one that I couldn't read.
"I've never had any friends," he breathed, staring down at me.
I felt him take hold of my hand, holding it in his, my face heating up a bit at the gesture. It was something that I know Damon didn't normally do.
"All anyone ever does it hate me, like Stefan."
"Damon…" I looked up at him, seeing the sadness in his eyes. "I don't hate you," I told him, reaching my hand up and touching his cheek.
I wiped the corner of his eye, the wetness soaking into my skin. It was the first time I'd ever seen him like this.
"You're not alone, Damon," I whispered softly, rubbing my thumb lightly over his cheek.
It was obvious that he wasn't used to such willing affection, something that wasn't compelled. He'd never have to compel me to feel such a thing.
"I care, more than you realize," I admitted quietly, staring up into those icy blue orbs. "That's why I won't let you drink everything away, why I won't let you hide in that darkness you're so fond of."
I wiped his eyes again.
"And if dancing helps, then I'll dance, no matter how embarrassed it may make me feel," I smiled, watching the corner of his lip twitch upward slightly. "I'm going to help you through this, Damon, even if it's the last thing I do," I promised. "You're important to me."
"I hope you realize what you've just dragged yourself into."
"Trust me, I already know."
T
"So, did you find out where he was?" Elena asked, looking over at Stefan as she sat on the couch, a plate of pasta in her lap.
"Yeah. Apparently, her and Damon are out eating ice cream," he answered.
She gave him a strange look upon hearing this.
"Ice cream?" she asked, brows furrowed.
"I know, I know. I said the same thing."
It was silent after that for a moment, both of them thinking.
"I don't know, maybe this will be good for him," Elena mused. "Maybe he'll learn. I mean, you've seen how he's been at times," Elena offered. "He seems…different with Kali."
"Yeah, I know, but…"
"No buts Stefan."
"I still don't know if I can trust him though," he sighed.
"Then trust Kali," Elena told him. "I have a feeling that Kali knows what she's doing."
"And how can you be so sure," Stefan questioned, looking her over.
"I just have a feeling, alright? I've known her for a long time and she just has a way with people," she began. "She doesn't always like to admit it, but she's broken Stefan," she explained. "Just like Damon."
It was then that Stefan understood what she was getting at.
"Somehow, she understands him, despite all the lies he tries to hide behind."
T
"Damon?"
"Hm?"
"Why'd you really come back?" she asked quietly, looking up at him.
He merely looked down at her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he chuckled, shaking his head.
"Tell me?"
"I found your gift," he told her, glancing down at her for a moment as they continued down the trail.
He stopped for a moment as he caught sight of someone.
"Wait, you mean you hadn't opened it until now?" she inquired.
"It appears that it had been hiding underneath the seat of my car," he answered slowly.
"Damon, is something wrong?" she asked, noticing the look on his face.
She then stared out in front of them, eyeing the land before her. Her eyes landed on the man that he was staring at, their eyes connecting with one another. She felt herself taking a small step back at the look on his face, his dark eyes staring at her.
"Damon," she breathed, looking up at him.
Something about the man put her on edge and she wasn't sure why. Not that she was psychic like Bonnie, but she still had somewhat of a sixth sense when it came to certain things.
"Let's go," he said slowly, pulling her in another direction.
T
I followed beside him as he led me out of the park, leading me back toward the car.
"Damon, who was that?" I asked.
"I'm not sure, but he looks familiar," he replied, looking behind us for a moment.
I did the same, but found nothing.
"What do you mean he looks familiar?" I asked, my voice wary.
"Let's just say, I have a good memory."
"Damon," I breathed, feeling as he pulled me along.
"Get in the car," he ordered, moving to the drivers side.
Despite what I felt, I got in the car, shutting the door immediately. Damon got in as well, turning the key and stepping on the gas. Within seconds, we were out of there, my heart pounding in my chest.
T
"So, are you going to tell me what that was about?" I asked, watching as we drew close to the boarding house.
Damon just shook his head, speeding up a bit so that we ended up straight in front of the boarding house. He then got out, going around and opening my door for me. I gave him a small smile as I got out, following him inside.
"I can't tell you what I don't know," he explained, closing the door behind us.
"But you can tell me who he is," I pointed out.
"Not really."
"And what not?"
"Well, for one, I can't think of his name right now," he smiled, walking up the stairs.
I followed after him, staying on his heels. I wanted answers.
"Then think because it's bugging me," I whined.
"Deal with it," he answered.
I just rolled my eyes at his response. He was still a bit drunk, so I knew it wouldn't do me much good.
"Wait a sec, what are you doing?" I asked, watching as he made his way to Stefan's room, throwing the door open.
The sound of Stefan and Elena yelling caught me off guard. The sight before me was even worse though, my face going slightly red as they were laying in a rather compromising position.
"Elena Gilbert!" I cried in shock.
Quickly, they tried to cover themselves. Elena was obviously mortified by having me see this though, her face beet red.
"Damon, don't you ever knock!" Stefan yelled, glaring at his brother.
I just turned around, walking out of the room. My face was still red. Damon merely chuckled at this, leaning against the doorway.
"Like I said before, if I see something I haven't seen before, I'll throw a dollar at it," he laughed, pushing off of the doorframe. "I'll be over at Kali's," he called over his shoulder, directing me toward his room, leaving the door to Stefan's room open.
"Damon, why must you do stuff like that to them?" I asked, rubbing at my face.
"You know, you're cute when you're red," he chuckled, tapping my nose lightly with his fingertip.
"Damon," I groaned, pulling away.
He just grinned at me, finding it funny. He then pushed the door to his room open, going over to his dresser and pulling a few things out. I cried out though when I had to peel a pair of his underwear away from my face, a glare aimed at him.
"Stop whined," he chuckled. "They're clean."
"I hate you," I grumbled.
"There's a bag underneath that chair right there, toss 'em in for me?" he asked, ignoring my statement.
I just sighed, rolling my eyes, but did as I asked. I did the same thing with the rest of the clothes that he tossed my way, folding them up and placing them inside. I stopped though when he grabbed another one of his leather jackets, handing it to me.
"Here," he said, offering it to me. "It's a little big, but it should fit."
I stared at him for a moment before taking it, holding it in my hands. The man sure loved his leather jackets, that was for sure. After all, he had enough of them.
"You mean…to keep?" I asked.
"Of course," he nodded. "I've got plenty more."
"That's an understatement," I snorted, earning a grin.
"What can I say," he shrugged. "I like my jackets."
"Alright, cowboy, lets go."
"Cowboy, huh?" he grinned, taking a couple steps toward me.
"Uh-uh, Mr. Salvatore, not here," I told him, grabbing his bag and walking out of the room.
He followed after me, closing the door behind him. I could hear Stefan and Elena talking as we walked passed their room, the door now closed. Damon went to open it again, but I stopped him, grabbing his hand and pulling him away.
"Don't even think about it."
"Why not?" he whined.
"Damon, just leave them alone. I don't feel like seeing your brother naked," I groaned.
"Of course not. I look far better."
"Damon!" I cried, face red as I hit his arm.
He just grinned, that cocky smile finally back on his face.
"You're just too easy."
"Oh, shut up, you," I muttered, walking down the steps, strap over my shoulder.
Once at the bottom of the stairs, I began making my way to the door, only to be stopped by Damon. He'd walked into the parlor.
"Damon, what are you doing?" I called, walking after him.
"Grabbing a drink," he answered, picking a bottle of liquor up from the liquor table.
He then walked back toward me, bottle in hand.
"Now I'm ready."
I just shook my head, heading outside into the cold winter air.
"I'm driving," I announced, going and tossing the duffle into the car.
I then held my hand out, gesturing for the keys. He just grinned at me, holding them above my head so that I couldn't reach.
"Damon, give me the keys."
"How about a trade?" he suggested, looking down at me.
"And what would we be trading?" I asked skeptically, looking up at him.
"A kiss for the keys," he answered.
"Really, that's it?"
"Mm-hm," he nodded, leaning forward.
I smirked at him, leaning forward, bringing my lips to his ear.
"You're full of it," I breathed out, using his shoulder as leverage and snatching the keys from his hand.
He just stood there, dumb founded.
"Get in the car, Damon," I said, climbing into the driver's seat and turning on the engine.
I buckled my seat belt, looking in the mirror for a moment. He got in after that, arms folded over his chest like a child, pouting.
"Get over it, Damon," I chuckled, leaning over and kissing his cheek as I pulled out, turning the wheel and putting it back into drive.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the corner of his mouth turning upward, his eyes closing.
"Oh, and seat belt please."
"I can't die, ergo, there's no point," he nearly sang, eyes still closed.
At those words, I stopped the car, barely out of the large driveway.
"Damon, I'll buckle you up myself if I have to," I told him, eyeing him.
"I'd like to see you try."
Glaring, I undid my seatbelt, leaning over and reaching around him. The moment my fingers touch the fabric to pull, I found myself in his lap.
"Damon," I groaned, glaring up at him.
"Nice try, but sorry," he grinned, leaning my back against the dashboard.
"Okay, you do realize how uncomfortable this is, right?"
"Remotely," he replied, leaning forward.
I pushed my hand against his face, pushing him back as he started to laugh.
"Okay, either you really are this drunk still or you're messing with my head."
"I'd say a bit of both," he admitted.
"Seatbelt," I said stubbornly.
"And I said, there's no point," he countered, pulling me to him.
"Damon, please, just do it?" I sighed. "It'll give me peace of mind."
"Well," he started, wrapping his arms around my back. "Since you asked so nicely, I'll let you buckle me up," he replied, making roll my eyes.
Oh well, I'll take what I can get. If he's giving me this much, there's no point throwing it back in his face. So with a sigh, I reached beside him, pulling the seatbelt down into place until I heard a resounding click.
"Thank you," I breathed, crawling back over into my seat, my knee hitting the center consul. "Ow!" I hissed, pulling it toward me.
"Careful," he chided, wagging his finger at me.
I just stuck my tongue out in response, settling down in my seat and buckling up. After that, I put the car back into drive and made my way down the driveway and onto the makeshift street.
T
"So, what's with all this stuff?" Damon asked, leaning on the crappy couch, one of the few things that had actually remained in the room.
"Well, Damon, this stuff as you call it, happens to be an accumulation of my life's work," I told him, tacking a piece of art work to the wall in the living room.
"Ahh…" he mused, taking a drink of the scotch that he'd brought with him, this bottle already a forth of the way finished.
"Okay, give me that," I groaning, moving forward and taking it from his hand.
He whined in response, reaching out for it pathetically.
"Kali," he whined.
"No, you're not getting it back, and that's final."
Instead of grabbing for the bottle again though, he caught me by one of my belt loops, pulling me down into his lap.
"You're not getting it back," I reminded him, feeling his arms snake around my waist. "Feed, dance, I don't care, but you're not drinking."
He whined again, pulling me closer, his body hugging mine. I felt him lay his chin on my shoulder, a small sigh escaping him.
"Just one more?" he whispered, kissing my shoulder.
I shook my head no.
"Please?"
"Nope."
My answer was final, I wasn't changing it.
"Why not?" he asked, slowly bringing his lips to my neck, the feeling making me shiver from the faint chill.
"Because I said no."
"That's not an answer," he groaned, pressing his nose to my neck and inhaling.
"If you're hungry, Damon, drink, but you're not getting it back."
"Is that going to be your answer for everything?" he asked, kissing lightly at the skin.
"Why not? After all, it seems to work," I shrugged.
"You're so mean to me," he whined, causing me to laugh.
"Well, if being mean is what's going to get the job done, then so be—Ouch!"I cried, feeling his fangs bite down into my neck. "You did that on purpose!" I narrowed.
I heard him chuckled, a grin pulling against my skin.
"I swear, if you keep biting in the same place, I'm gonna end up with something permanent," I pointed out.
"No you won't," he started, pulling back. "But if you're that determined…"
"Damon, what are you doing?" I asked warily, only to receive my answer when he bit down on the other shoulder, causing me to elbow him in the gut. "Would you stop that!" I yelled.
He only laughed at me, holding me to him.
"You're terrible," I groaned.
"But you love it all the same," he breathed, kissing the bite before drinking again.
I couldn't help, but to sigh as I sat there, leaning back against him. My head was on his shoulder as he drank, my eyes sliding closed. Not that I particularly cared watching him feed from me, it was just that in this position, it was about the only thing I could do to get a bit more comfortable.
"I'm starting to think that perhaps, every time I want a drink, I should just bite you instead," he chuckled.
"If it works, go ahead," I sighed.
"You're serious, aren't you?" he inquired, brows furrowed slightly as he looked at me.
"Yep," I nodded.
"Perhaps you're the one that's something else," he supplied. "Letting a vampire drink from them willingly."
"Yes, well, you're not just any vampire though, now are you, Damon?"
"No, I'm not, am I?" he grinned, his ego just being inflated.
Great, I just inflated a cocky vampires already large ego.
"Perhaps, you're what Stefan needs," Damon mused. "A willing participant."
"Damon, you know how your brother feels about that stuff."
"Well, you're no fun."
"Of course not, I'm just the supplier," I joked, moving to stand up.
I felt my head spin though as I did this, quickly sitting back down, my hand gripping Damon's leg.
"Careful," he warned, sliding an arm around me.
I just leaned back against him, resting for a moment.
"Only one way to fix this," he started, tearing into his wrist. "Here," he said, placing it in front of me.
I just stared at it for a moment, watching the blood seep from the wound. I finally took it after a few moments, clamping my mouth down on his wrist, my hands coming to grip his arm lightly. Once again, the faintly sweet taste hit my tongue, sliding down my throat. I'd never understand why this was so easy for me. Not that I was eager to do it or anything, but it didn't seem to bother me that much. Granted, yes, it would give me a headache later, but still. For some reason, I welcomed the taste.
"Are you sure you're not secretly a vampire or something?" Damon teased, leaning back against the couch.
After a few more moments, I finally let go, taking the time to look up at him.
"I'm pretty sure," I answered. "Besides, I can't be a vampire if it's vampire blood that I crave," I pointed out, a joking tone in my voice.
He just gave me a small grin, watching as the wounds on my neck healed up, the same happening to his wrist once I had pulled away.
"You never know, you could be some strange breed," he joked, pulling me back against him.
I just stared at him, watching as he gripped my chin, tilting it upwards. I still had some blood on my mouth no doubt, just another excuse for him to be weird.
"And so messy too," he teased, leaning down and pressing his lips to mine, swapping the taste of blood.
He was so strange sometimes, like he was still testing me with stuff. My thing was, I didn't know why he was testing me. Was he trying to figure out just how much I'd put up with, how quirky or kinky he could make things? That was one thing that I would never understand. It was almost like he was trying to see if I'd meet the standards of being a vampire or something. That thought in particular stuck in my head, replaying as I sat there. I knew that it was a stupid thought though, so I brushed it to the side, forgetting about it.
"Alright, Casanova, I need to finish putting this stuff up," I told him, moving out of his arms, and going back to what I was doing previously.
T
Damon sat there, watching as Kali moved around the small room, pulling stuff out and setting it up. She had so much stuff, but he was still intrigued. He was intrigued by the eye that she had for beauty and her ability to capture it. She didn't see the world in black and white, she saw it in a multitude of colors, and hues. Even in her works that were black and white, they still seemed to portray some sort of color, a sort of emotion. Every piece was one of a kind, especially, the more abstract ones that looked like she'd been experimenting with them in one form or another. Her problem was, she didn't seem to have enough room for them all.
"Have you ever thought of selling some of them or putting them in a gallery somewhere?" Damon asked, pushing himself up off of the couch and over to her bulky portfolio.
He pulled it open a bit, glancing inside. There were so many things, from small canvas board paintings and pencil portraits, all the way to large charcoal drawings. There was a bit of everything inside there.
"I've tried," she shrugged. "I guess its just taking the time to do it all."
"I'm sure the Lockwood's might if you asked," he commented, reaching inside and pulling something out. "What's this?" he asked, holding it up.
It was a piece of cardboard with a paper attached to it, a covered drawn over it and clipped down.
"Careful with that," she breathed out, taking it from his hand.
"What is it?" he asked again, watching as she flipped the cover over tentatively.
It was revealed to be a picture of a woman, a charcoal drawing that looked to be a few years old, though well drawn. The woman seemed familiar though, but he couldn't place why.
"It's a drawing of my mother," she replied, staring down at it. "I lost the original picture some time ago, so this is all I have."
That was why the woman looked familiar. It was Kali's mother. The woman had the same cheekbones and brow shape, the smile reflecting Kali's own. She was just as beautiful.
"Well, at least now I know where you get your looks," he chuckled.
"Yeah…"
Damon looked down at her for a moment, studying the look on her face. He noticed that sadness didn't suit her, moving into the kitchen and pulling a glass then took the time to fill it with scotch, bringing it back to her.
"Alright, I think you're the one that needs a drink Kal," Damon voiced, pulling the drawing fromher hands and switching it out with the glass of scotch. "I'm supposed to be the mopey one, remember?"
"And this is supposed to do what for me exactly?" she inquired, looking up at him.
"Just drink it."
She complied, though with a bit of hesitation, the liquid burning down her throat.
"Ugh…" she groaned, handing the glass back to him once she was done, a small grin on his face.
T
A few drinks later, I found myself dancing with Damon, his arms wrapped around me. I had no doubt that I was partially drunk at this point, my mind a bit fuzzy and my balance off kilter. For the life of me, I couldn't remember a time where I'd ever felt like this.
"See? All you gotta do is loosen up," Damon chuckled, moving my hips back and forth with his own, my back to his chest.
It was like earlier, though this time more willing, my arms reached behind me lazily and wrapped around his neck. The music was just about the only thing keeping me going at the moment, the feeling of my body swaying back and forth nearly lulling me to sleep. It was like the effect one had when rocking a baby to sleep.
"You're far more fun this way," he groaned out, his breath tickling my ear, before kissing my neck.
He placed a small trail down along my neck and to my shoulder, deliberately dragging his teeth along the skin. Even in my current state, he was still testing me with little things, teasing me one way or another. He bit down lightly with his teeth, his fangs staying in place, not sliding down.
"Damon…" I groaned, closing my eyes.
I heard him chuckle, pulling back from my neck, his lips trailing along the inside of my arm instead. The feeling gave me goosebumps, a shiver running through me.
"Why must you always play with me?" I asked quietly, feeling as he turned me around, my eyes focusing on his face.
He then picked me up, laying me out on the bed with ease. He never broke eye contact with me, not once.
"Because…" he started, crawling onto the bed and hovering over me. "I can," he finished, leaning down and pressing his lips to mine, the sweet sensation nearly sending me over the edge.
It was like he was even gentler after having a few to drink, his hand sliding slowly up my arm and taking hold of my own hand.
"Damon?" I whispered, blinking up at him, his nose brushing mine.
"Hm?" he breathed out, lowering himself down a bit, his elbow supporting his weight.
"You're pretty," I replied, a lazy smile on my face as I touched his cheek, outlining it with my fingertip.
"Well, normally, I get handsome," he chuckled.
"Damon?"
"Yes, Kali?"
"I have to pee," I giggled.
With a chuckle, he rolled to the side, laying on the bed. That left me to get up, stumbling toward the bathroom, my hand grabbing at the wall. I pushed the door open, pushing it halfway shut with my foot.
I fumbled with my pants once I was finished, barely managing to button them back up before stumbling back into my room. I tripped over my feet, laughing as I caught myself. I then started tugging at my shirt, not caring if Damon was in the room. After all, it's not like he's hasn't seen me without a shirt before anyway. That and I was too out of it to really care.
"Damon," I whined, getting my caught as I tried to pull it over my head.
I fell backwards against the dresser, groaning as I tried to get it off.
"Help?" I cried pathetically, nearly falling forward.
I felt hands steady me, tugging the shirt loose, my hair falling in my face. He just smiled down at me, pushing my hair out of my face, before tapping my forehead.
"I think you need some sleep."
I nodded lazily, pulling a button up shirt from my dresser. I managed to pull my arms through the sleeves with a bit of help, blinking a few times as I stared down at the buttons, fiddling with them. I managed to get a random one, before falling backwards onto the bed, my lower half sliding off as my eyes fought to stay open. It was at that point that I completely gave up on buttoning my shirt rest of the way, feeling Damon lean over me, his hand pressing into the mattress.
"You're fuzzy," I giggled, my head rolling to the side as I looked up at him, an affectionate look in his eyes as he stared down at me.
"Come on," he sighed, slipping his arm under my back and pulling me to him.
I wrapped my arms around his neck tiredly as he lifted me up, crawling on to the bed far enough, before finally laying me down. My arms remained around his neck though, keeping him close.
"Stay with me?" I whispered, curling up with him as he laid beside me, his arm around my waist. "You're warm…" I murmured.
"Get some sleep Kali," he replied, brushing a piece of hair behind my ear. "Just sleep."
Alright everyone, that was chapter 18. I really hope that everyone liked it?
What did you think about Kali's way of keeping Damon from drinking? How funny was the dancing at the beginning? What did you think of drunk Kali?
Anyway, thanks for reading guys and don't forget to REVIEW AND MESSAGE ME! I NEED IDEAS PEOPLE!
IMPORTANT!: I want to know what you think. What do you want to see in the next chapters? How do you want things to play out? Any ideas on getting around certain parts of scenes you don't want? Song ideas? Anything people.
NEXT CHAPTER IS FOR THE EPISODE 'A FEW GOOD MEN' SO REVIEW FOR IDEAS!